Control plane technology, based on widely accepted IP-based signaling and routing protocols, can automate resource discovery and dynamic provisioning of optical connections, offering support for a broad range of differentiated services. This technology promises operational benefits, as well as new service and revenue opportunities.
Many network operators and equipment suppliers are developing control plane technology for application in transport networks, thereby creating a need for an OSS-based comprehensive management solution that addresses the needs of multi-vendor, multi-technology SONET and WDM networks based on evolving Control Plane Technology. The present invention provides a unique automated solution to address this challenge.
There are currently needs for automated activation and management of an end to end customer service over a multi-vendor, multi-technology SONET and WDM telecommunication networks comprising multi-domain generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS) control plane enabled mesh and SONET Rings/Chains and near-real-time provisioning of customer service of a control plane network
Currently there are management systems which have the capability to manage control plane mesh within a single domain, but there are no known complete automated OSS solutions which can manage an end-to-end customer service over a multi-vendor, multi-technology SONET or WDM telecommunication network comprising a multi-domain generalized multi-protocol label switching control plane enabled mesh and SONET/WDM Rings/Chains. Prior OSS dealt with single network element. In the present invention it is possible to configure control plane paths with multi-vendor and multi-network entities. This is accomplished by converting the different vendor networks into a standard in order to manipulate the network elements. Control plane activation and provisioning is only at the ingress network element and the egress network element, the intermediary networks are fixed by the different vendors. During activation, both equipment and time slot or wavelength (retrieved from the control plane) messages are stored. Also hop-to-hop checks stored activation data is used in order to configure the path. Errors can arise from any of multiple network elements in the network. Accordingly, monitoring is used and errors are sent to pre-determined destinations.
There are no known automated solutions to the described problems which are capable of managing a customer service spanning over SONET networks comprising control plane enabled mesh and SONET Rings/Chains or over WDM networks.